The bridge has been closed to allow for these works to be carried out safely. It was reopened to pedestrians on 12 October and the ORC says it is nearly ready to be reopened to allow vehicles across as well.

ORC General Manager Operations Dr Gavin Palmer said, “In order to reopen the bridge we must reseal the road properly, which requires specialist equipment that is in short supply. At this stage we expect the bridge will reopen mid-December.”

“We must ensure all relevant safety checks are completed once the road has been resealed,” Dr Palmer said. “Only after the bridge is returned to its full load-bearing capacity can it be reopened to vehicles.”

Works will continue in the river in the vicinity of the bridge after it is opened, but this is unlikely to affect vehicles or pedestrians.

The Leith Flood Protection Scheme at the Dundas St bridge is the final engineering stage prior to completion. Spanning over a decade, the project has involved a series of engineering modifications along the length of the Leith, planned to control floodwaters and help reduce the likelihood of it overflowing and flooding Dunedin city.

The final stage has included putting in a culvert next to the bridge to allow water to spill over into it when the river is in flood, reducing the impact of high floodwaters.

For more information about the history of this project visit www.orc.govt.nz/leithfloodprotectionscheme